CHICAGO, Ill. -- When he was 11, Michael Brantley took up switch-hitting one afternoon.

Four hours later, his trial ended.

"I worked hard by myself for three-and-a-half hours," Brantley said. "My dad came in the cage, flipped a couple balls to me and then told me to turn back around and that it wasn't for me."

The Indians faced their fourth consecutive southpaw starter on Friday in Chicago's Chris Sale. The Padres trotted out a pair of lefties in Wednesday's doubleheader and John Danks earned a victory in Thursday's series opener at U.S. Cellular Field. The onslaught of left-handers has forced manager Terry Francona to pencil Ryan Raburn, Mike Aviles and Elliot Johnson into his lineup more frequently.

"Guys like Raburn and Aviles, they're going to play against all the lefties," Francona said. "They're getting them in a bunch. It should help them."

Last season, the Indians hit .271 as a team against lefties and .247 against righties. Prior to Friday's tilt against Sale, Cleveland had compiled a .192 average against lefties.

"We've only had a handful of games so far, so it's still early," Raburn said. "You can't look into too much right now. … Sooner or later, we'll get on a hot streak."

Brantley typically remains in the lineup no matter the opposing pitcher. Last season, the outfielder batted .288 against righties and .276 against lefties.

"They still have to throw the ball over the plate," Brantley said. "I try to stay consistent and try to put good swings on the ball no matter if they're left-handed or right-handed. I know I'm left-handed, so I'd rather face a right-hander, but at the same time, it really doesn't matter."

Francona has said that right fielder David Murphy -- who hits from the left side -- will also play against many southpaws. Murphy is a career .280 hitter against righties and a .257 hitter against lefties.

"You're going to see the ball a little bit later, so you make sure to get started a little bit sooner. I know I don't do the damage against lefties that I do against righties, but I know I can still be productive against lefties. It's just a matter of finding my stroke against them."

Of course, life would be easier if Murphy were a switch-hitter.

"It would be nice," Murphy said, laughing. "But you do the best with what you have."

The Indians are slated to battle a right-hander, Felipe Paulino, on Saturday.

Bourn ultimatum:Michael Bourn wants to return to the lineup on Sunday. Mother Nature might have the final say.

The center fielder, nearing full recovery from a strained left hamstring, played with Double-A Akron on Friday for the second consecutive night. He went 1-for-5 with a stolen base.

Bourn will rest Saturday and the Indians will make a decision on his status. He could join the team in Chicago and play on Sunday, but the forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain, according to weather.com. Francona hinted that it might behoove the club to just have him ready for Tuesday's series opener in Detroit.

Jason Giambi also played Friday for the RubberDucks, his first action on his rehab assignment as he heals from a non-displaced rib fracture. In three trips to the plate, he walked once and struck out twice.

Lee's way:C.C. Lee might not make a swift return to Triple-A. If anything, he has proven to the Indians that he can pitch at the big league level.

"He looks poised," said pitching coach Mickey Callaway. "That's his M.O. Coming up through the minor leagues, every level he went, it took him a little bit to settle in and really get that confidence that he needs to succeed. It's looking like he's got that now and his stuff is good enough to where if he makes pitches, he'll get outs."

In nine spring training appearances, he tallied 12 strikeouts and posted a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings. Lee tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief on Thursday in his first outing for the Tribe this season, as he stymied the White Sox with his deceptive delivery and his two-seam fastball, which averaged 93.1 mph.

"He came in with borderline electric stuff, especially from that arm slot," Francona said.

The Indians now boast a young set of hard-throwing relievers. Aside from 38-year-old Scott Atchison, closer John Axford is the bullpen's senior citizen, at 31 years old. The other six relievers range in age from 25 to 29 years old.

"There's some youth in some of these guys, but that doesn't mean they can't compete and excel and help us win," Francona said. "Sometimes you just have to be patient."

Finally: The Indians entered Friday's action with the most strikeouts of any American League pitching staff (98) and the best strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark (10.02). … Second baseman Jason Kipnis joined the Taylor Hooton Foundation advisory board, an advocacy group that speaks out against the use of performance-enhancing drugs by youths in the United States.

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